Chicago Cubs Lineup (3/8/23): Hoerner Leads Off, Mancini in RF, Steele Starts Against Canada
The Cubs welcome Team Canada to Sloan Park Wednesday in a WBC tune-up that features what looks like a regular season lineup. Nico Hoerner leads off at second base, followed by Dansby Swanson at short and Ian Happ in left. Trey Mancini is the cleanup hitter in right field, where he will spend a good deal of time as Seiya Suzuki deals with an oblique strain.
Cody Bellinger is in center, Eric Hosmer is at first, Patrick Wisdom is at third, and Edwin Ríos is the DH. That’s a whole lot of pop down in the order and it makes this lineup look a lot more dangerous than many initially thought. Tucker Barnhart drops back to the ninth spot in the order now that his starts will be a little longer than at the start of the Cactus League season.
Justin Steele is on the mound for the second time this spring and he’s looking to repeat the efficient performance that saw him retire six Padres on 18 pitches. Steele didn’t get a chance to throw the changeup in that first start, so I would imagine we’ll see him bust that pitch out as he looks to increase its usage in his repertoire.
First pitch is set for 2:05pm CT on Marquee Sports Network.
Here is today's #Cubs starting lineup vs. Team Canada at @SloanParkMesa!#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/ldO50nqArc
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 8, 2023